Commentary: On Genesis

Se‘adya Ga’on

On Genesis 1:28

First Half of the 10th Century

[Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion [lit., and they shall rule (ve-yirdu)] over the fish of the sea (ha-yam), over the birds of the air (ha-shamayim), and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)—Ed.]

The word they shall rule includes the…

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In this excerpt from his lengthy Judeo-Arabic commentary on the Torah, Se‘adya Ga’on explains humanity’s dominion over the created world. His detailed account reflects many of the technological advances of the medieval world. Se‘adya’s word-by-word commentary was an innovation for Rabbanite exegesis and provided a model for many later writers, remaining popular among Judeo-Arabic readers for centuries. Ellipses represent lacunae in the text.

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Related Guide

Early Medieval Bible Translations and Commentaries

7th to 12th Century

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